US service member missing after Iran shot down fighter jet has been rescued

A U.S. service member who had been missing since Iran shot down a fighter jet has been rescued, according to a post from President Donald Trump early on Sunday. A tense U.S. search-and-rescue mission began after the F-15E Strike Eagle jet crashed on Friday. Iran also announced a reward for anyone who could provide information on the "enemy pilot." Earlier, a second crew member was rescued. Trump mentioned that the aviator is injured but "will be just fine," and noted that he had taken shelter "in the treacherous mountains of Iran." He stated that the rescue operation involved "dozens of aircraft" and that U.S. forces had been tracking his location "24 hours a day" while carefully planning for his rescue. This incident marks the first U.S. aircraft to crash in Iranian territory since the conflict escalated in late February, focusing on a mountainous area in Iran’s southwestern province of Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad. Last week, Trump claimed the U.S. had "decimated" Iran and would quickly conclude the war. Just two days later, Iran shot down two U.S. military planes, highlighting the ongoing dangers of the bombing campaign and the ability of a weakened Iranian military to retaliate. The conflict began with joint U.S.-Israel strikes on February 28, resulting in thousands of casualties, disrupting global markets, blocking important shipping routes, and driving up fuel prices. Both sides have threatened and attacked civilian targets, raising concerns about potential war crimes. The other downed aircraft was a U.S. A-10 attack plane, and details about the crew and the exact location of its crash are still unknown.